Council to discuss adopting zero-waste policy

The Ukiah City Council tonight is scheduled to discuss policies and practices it could adopt to reduce the amount of waste the city creates.

According to the staff report prepared for the March 6 meeting, "community members from Ukiah requested that the city council consider a resolution ? that recognizes the importance of working toward zero-waste as a long-term goal."

The item is being brought up now because Zero Waste Week is March 17 through March 23.

"Waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting conserve natural resources, reduce pollution and are cheaper than destructive disposal," the report continues, adding that "for every ton of municipal discards generated, 71 tons of manufacturing, mining and construction debris is created. In addition, waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting create more jobs in local communities than does simple disposal."

The discussion will likely raise some eyebrows as, in 2011, the council approved new, 15-year contracts with the city's waste and recyclables haulers, Ukiah Waste Solutions and Solid Waste Solutions, that critics said disregarded a viable option for immediately removing all food, yard and paper waste, including soiled pizza boxes and soiled cat litter from the city's waste stream.

Rather than allowing city residents to add food waste to their yard waste containers immediately, the council agreed to give C&SWS (the administrative arm of UWS and SWS) more time to present its plans for using that waste stream, which it has yet to deliver on.

C&SWS bought the site of the former Thomas pear sheds in Ukiah and hopes to consolidate its operations there with a large recycling and composting facility.

Last year, the Mendocino County grand jury delivered a scathing report on the city's contracts which ended with the statement that the city is supporting the creation of another facility that accepts food waste rather than utilizing Cold Creek Compost in Potter Valley, writing: "The grand jury wonders how much longer it is going to take the city to assess its options. Its current option -- and the best it is ever likely to find -- sits underused in front of its face."

When asked why city residents' food waste couldn't be added to yard waste bins right now, Julie Price of C&SWS said it was because her company had plans to convert it into energy, not compost, and that if residents got used to doing it in the interim, it would be hard to change the behavior a second time.

The resolution the council will consider adopting tonight states, in part, that "government plays a vital role in establishing criteria needed to eliminate waste, (both by) creating the economic and regulatory environment in which to achieve it, and for leading by example.

"(And) that the City of Ukiah declares its commitment to take local action to support Zero Waste Week ? through action plans and measures that significantly reduce waste and pollution ? including recycling and composting ? (and) encouraging residents, businesses, agencies and institutions to use, reuses and recycle materials judiciously and compost organic wastes."

The meeting beings at 6 p.m. tonight in the council chambers at 300 Seminary Avenue.